Letter for signs.



G. MAYERLE.

LETTER FOR SIGNS.

APILIGATION FILED 001221, 1911.

jgo Patented Mar, 3, 1914.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

GEORGE MAYERLE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LETTER FOR SIGNS.

To all yiii/10mA it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE MAYEELE, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letters for Signs, oi' which the following is a specication. This invention relates to a sign and par ticularly pertains to the construction of letters and characters such as are employed in outdoor advertising signs.

It is the object of this invention to provide a letter or character for signs which is designed and constructed in such al manner as to produce a scintillating or Corusn eating effect and thereby attract the eye.

A further object is to provide a letter or character for outdoor signs, in which the ield or surface of the letter will be constantly changing or moving, so as to have an agitated or fluttering appearance.

Another object is to provide means in .a sign of the above character in which the ag1- tated or coruscated effects are obtained by the wind or currents of air.

The invention consists of the parts and the construct-ion and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichn Figures 1 and 2 are front elevations of letters constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of a letter showing the manner of suspending same from a cable. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of one ot' the blades or vanes employed in this invention.

In the drawings A is the frame work constituting the outline of a letter, which frame work may be formed of rods, wire or simllar materials, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

The frame work A is designed to be suspended from a cable 2, as shown in Fig. 3, a hook 3 mounted on the upper end of the frame A engaging a sleeve 4 mounted to rotate on the cable 2.

The essence of this invention resides in disposing a series of blades or varies 5 in the field of the letter; the blades or Yanes 5 being pivotally mounted in any suitable manner on the frame work A. In

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

Application filed October 21, 1911.* Serial No. 655,862.

this case they are shown as supported upon rods or shafts G carried by the frame work A.

An object of the invention is to provide an attractive letter for signs having the blades or vanes mounted in the framework thereof in such proximity as to have them' constitute substantially the entire body of the letter. ln order that this may be accomplished, the distance between the adjacent axes is made but slightly larger than the radius of the vanes. By this arrangement it is obvious that the edges ot' the adjoining blades will nearly touch during the time in which they are disposed in the plane of the frame, and thereby form the main body o f the letter.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the blades are shown as S-shaped in end elevation and pivoted on their axes.

In Figs. 1 and 4 the blades are shown as mounted to rotate around vertical axes, while in Figs. 2 and 3 they are positioned to rotate around horizontal axes; it being obvious, however, that the arrangement of the blades is subject to great variation. It is also obvious that the shape or outline of the blades is capable of considerable variation, and that various shaped and positioned blades may be mounted in the field of each letter. The letters thus formed are designed to be suspended from the cable 2 in exposed positions, so that the wind and currents of air will act to rotate the blades 5 and at the same time swing the letter to and fro on the cable 2. The hook 3 being loose on the sleeve 4, and the sleeve 4 being loose on the cable 2, admits of a free swinging movement of the letter, relieves the cable 2 of strain due to wind pressures, and reduces frictional wear on the cable by the swinging of the letter. It it is desired to mount the letter in a stationary position, the pivotal mounting, consisting of the hook 3 and sleeve 4, lnay be dispensed with.

By forming the blades 5 with a reflective surface, such as mirrors, a scintillating or coruscating effect will be produced by the rotating blades, when rays of light are die rected thereon, and b v coating one side of the blades with one color and the opposite Havingl hus described my invention, what I c aim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is zl. In a sign in combination, a framework comprising a rod bent in the form of a letter, a series ofrotatably mountedblades ar-v ranged to form a letter and mounted Within said frame, each of said blades being formed in such manner as to cause the blades 4to be rotated by air currents and to exhibit first one side of the blade and then the other side of the blade to the observer standing in any position from where said sign can be read said blades being so positioned as to have their adjacent edges nearly touch When in the plane of the frame, one side of each blade being of one color and the other vaxes and arranged to. rotate Within said frame-Work, each of said blades being formed in such manner as to cause the blades to be rotated by air currents and exhibit first one side and then the other to an observer,each of said blades being provided on one side with a. reflecting surface adapted to reiect rays of light to the ground in the paths of passersby to thereby attract their attention, the blades being arranged suiciently close to nearly touch When in the plane of the frame. A y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two-subscribing witnesses. v

GEORGE MAYERLE. Witnesses Y L. I-I. ANDERSON, WM. IIARTFIEL. 

